External Governance on the Terms of the Partner? The EU, Russia and the Republic of Moldova in the European Neighbourhood Policy

The eastern neighbourhood of the EU is usually seen as an area of contestation with Russia, where the latter has a negative influence on EU initiatives to promote democracy and the rule of law. However, when the influence of the EU and Russia on the implementation of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) Action Plan in the Republic of Moldova is tested systematically, it becomes clear that the interests of the government prevailed as a much stronger predictor for rule adoption and implementation: domestic adoption costs accounted both for effective rule transfer and for the lack of it, underlining the importance of domestic factors in processes of external governance even despite the presence of major external powers.